Finland, Sweden and Iceland: The best places to see the Northern Lights

Metro’s Lisa Scott reveals the best places to catch one of the world’s greatest natural phenomenons, the Northern Lights.

Get a husky ride to remember in Finalnd’s far-flung Kilpisjarvi

Husky Ride to Remember

Any Lapp will tell you there’s a certain mysticism to Finland’s far-flung Kilpisjärvi, which sits on the point where Finland, Sweden and Norway meet within the Arctic Circle. The aurora borealis is seen here with surprising regularity and you will be taken on a hunt, using snowshoes, snowmobiles, skis and huskies – across the wild Lappi landscape that surrounds the glass-like Kilpisjärvi lake. The seven-day tour finishes with a night in Muonio, where things get busy: the population rises to one person per sq km – the equivalent of three reindeer to every person.From £1,995.http://www.theaurorazone.com

Fancy Some Elk Stew?

Walk for hours on end in the peaceful wilderness of Ostersund north Sweden

Believe it or not, some people go on holiday to walk for hours on end. In the peaceful wilderness of Östersund, northern Sweden, you will walk with snowshoes for seven hours each day along a network of trails created by Sami settlers at the turn of the last century. During the six days, you’ll live simply, sleeping in wood huts and eating elk stew. Your mission is to spot reindeer (pictured below), wolverines, Arctic foxes and, of course, nature’s natural light show dancing above your head. This trip is so unique there’s only one, which departs on March 22, 2013.From £1,499 pp. http://www.discoveradventure.com

Hotel Glymur’s Light Show

Glymur Hotel in Iceland is one of the country’s few boutique accommodations

Base yourself in Hotel Glymur in West Iceland, one of the country’s few boutique accommodations. Explore the lava waterfalls of Hraunfossar as well as Iceland’s largest hot-spring area, all in the comfort of a four-wheel drive provided when you land in Reykjavik. The hotel sits on the edge of Hvalfjörður (Whale-fjord) on a remote spot away from light pollution but if the emerald lights appear during the night, the hotel’s policy is to give all guests a wake-up call. This is optional, of course.From £571. http://www.discover-the-world.co.uk